Two men found dead inside Randwick unit

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/two-men-found-dead-inside-randwick-unit-20151024-gkhrfm.html
The housing department unit block where two men are believed to have been electrocuted on Saturday night. Photo: Wolter Peeters Two men found dead inside a unit in Sydney’s eastern suburbs are believed to have been electrocuted.
The bodies of the men, believed to be aged in their 50s and 70s, were found in the Randwick home on Saturday just after 9.15pm.

A concerned resident in the Cowper Street unit block called police after noticing that water had been flowing from the unit since the morning.

Eastern Beaches duty officer Inspector Steven Egbers said when emergency services arrived there was “sparking” caused by an electrical fault in the unit and reports of a gas smell.

“There were concerns about the possibility there was an electrical appliance which may have been faulty and there was a possibility that somebody could be electrocuted,” Inspector Egbers said.

The area was sealed off and experts called to ensure the unit was safe for paramedics and police to enter.

Inspector Egbers said it appeared the deaths of the two men were an “unfortunate accident” and they were not being treated as suspicious.

While a post mortem examination will be carried out to determine the official cause of death, police believe the men were electrocuted.

Their bodies were found on the bathroom floor.

The apartment complex is owned by the Department of Family and Community Services.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the department was saddened to hear of the deaths and that the safety of tenants was a key priority.

A neighbour said the older man was a single father of two and the younger man had been staying with him for several months.

Lately, the neighbour said, the older man had been unwell and she had seen him leaving his apartment less.

“He was really nice, really nice,” the neighbour said.

The younger man, the neighbour said, was travelling with a friend and was temporarily living in the unit.

“He had been there for nearly twelve months. He was a lovely man he used to help me with my groceries all the time.”

Police were working on Sunday morning to contact the families of the two men.